Voting Begins In Closely Fought Quebec Election

Voting began in Quebec on Monday morning in a closely fought provincial election that could reduce the pro-Canada Liberals.

Voting began in Quebec on Monday morning in a closely fought provincial election that could reduce the pro-Canada Liberals to a minority government or replace them with the separatist Parti Quebecois.

Polls opened at 9.30 a.m. (1330 GMT) and were set to close at 8 p.m. (midnight GMT). About 5.5 million people in the mainly French-speaking province of 7.5 million are eligible to vote.

Two public opinion polls published on Saturday showed the Liberals under Quebec Premier Jean Charest, 48, leading the Parti Quebecois (PQ), but not by enough to retain a majority in the 125-seat provincial legislature.

Another poll had the PQ with a slight lead over the Liberals, but also short of a majority. Quebec last had a minority government in 1878.

A surge in popularity by the conservative Action Democratique (ADQ), largely on the charisma of its 36-year-old leader, Mario Dumont, could give it the balance of power in the event of a minority Liberal or PQ government.

Dumont has said he wants Quebec to be more autonomous, but not separate from Canada.

PQ leader Andre Boisclair, 40, wants to hold another referendum on separation if his party gets enough seats to form the government for a five-year term.

Quebecers voted against separation by about one percentage point in a 1995 referendum and by 20 points in 1980.

Top PQ insiders such as former Quebec Premier Bernard Landry have said a minority PQ government would not likely be able to call a referendum on independence. Boisclair thinks Dumont and the ADQ should support a PQ minority government's attempt at a new referendum.

Dumont, who campaigned for separation in 1995, has rejected that suggestion, saying Quebec needs to address pressing economic and social priorities such as job growth and fixing the province's overwhelmed public health system.

The unprecedented three-way race is one of the closest in Quebec history, and analysts expect voter turnout to be as high as 75 percent as all parties push to get their supporters to the ballot boxes. About 500,000 Quebecers voted in two days of advance polls earlier this month.

Some 80 percent of Quebecers are French-speaking. By law, Quebec employers must give their employees four hours to vote.

At dissolution of the provincial legislature on Feb. 21, the Liberals had 72 seats, the PQ formed the official opposition with 45 seats and the ADQ had five members. Two seats were vacant and one was represented by an independent.

Surveys indicate the ADQ could siphon support from both the Liberals and PQ. ADQ support is strongest among middle-class professionals and in outlying regions, particularly the electoral districts near the provincial capital, Quebec City.

Boisclair's campaign appeared to appeal to the youth vote and voters in the suburbs around Montreal.

Charest, who began his campaign for a second straight majority with a healthy lead over the PQ, faced a barrage of criticism from his rivals and political commentators who say he backtracked on a 2003 promise to cut taxes.

When Charest vowed a few days ago to use a cash windfall from the Canadian government to cut taxes by C$750 million ($646 million) next year, he was accused of trying to buy votes.